This article will explore some of the most notable recipients of a Royal Honour from the 2025 New Year Honours List and why they were nominated and deserving of their award.

We’ll also share how Awards Intelligence can support you in nominating an individual that you admire and assist them in being recognised for their accomplishments.

 

New Year Honours List 2025

This year, over 1,200 people from a diverse range of fields were chosen for the New Year Honours List 2025.

The list includes many talented and extraordinary individuals across sport, business, entertainment, activism, charity work and politics, all celebrated for their notable contributions to British society.

Below, we have detailed the most noteworthy people and their achievements that have garnered this notoriety.

 

CBE

Alan Titchmarsh

Widely considered a national treasure, gardener, writer and broadcaster Alan Titchmarsh has been awarded a CBE for his services to horticulture and charity. He has long been recognised for his contributions to gardening and media, being awarded the Royal Horticultural Society Victoria Medal of Honour in 2003. This honour represents the pinnacle of Titchmarsh’s brilliant career.

 

John Stewart, NHS

This year, the NHS has delivered record levels of treatment while still rolling out innovations that are changing the world.

Royal Honours are there to recognise outstanding achievements and extraordinary contributions to our nation. One such candidate is John Stewart, NHS National Director of Specialised Commissioning, who has been awarded a CBE for services to the NHS.

 

OBE

In recent years, more than 900 sub-postmasters were wrongfully prosecuted for stealing, as a result of incorrect information from the Horizon computer system. The BBC has named it the “UK’s most widespread miscarriage of justice”.

Lee Castleton, Jo Hamilton, Christopher Head and Seema Misra, four former sub-postmasters have been appointed OBEs for their services to justice after taking the Post Office to court over this scandal.

 

MBE

Mylene Klass

In her day job, Mylene Klass is an English singer and TV show host. Klass has been recognised in the New Year Honours List with an MBE, not for her contributions to entertainment, but for her work in women’s health and miscarriage awareness.

An ambassador for charity Tommy’s, which advocates for those who have been affected by pregnancy and baby loss, Myleene Klass has made an outstanding impact on the lives of mothers across the country.

 

Keely Hodgkinson

The world was truly captivated by their television screens and the events that took place during the summer Paris Olympic Games. The raw talent and dedication of these athletes was absolutely compelling to witness.

The Honours Committee also admired the sporting showcase, awarding several medallists with Royal Honours. One such athlete is 800m champion and BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2024 Keely Hodgkinson who has been awarded an MBE for her achievements.

 

Knighthood/Damehoods

Many notable individuals were bestowed Knighthoods and Damehoods in the New Year Honours List 2025, including Sadiq Khan, Gareth Southgate and Stephen Fry.

 

Gareth Southgate

Sir Gareth Southgate has been recognised for his endeavour of leading ‘The Three Lions’ English football team during the Euros in successive finals, during his eight-year position as England manager from 2016 to 2024.

 

Stephen Fry

Another national treasure who has been rewarded for his tireless services to mental health and the environment is Stephen Fry.

Beloved for being the voice of the Harry Potter audiobooks, his work on QI and his advocacy for gay rights and the climate crisis, Fry is also the president of the mental health charity and has been pivotal in changing the conversation and public perception around mental health.

 

Rarer accomplishments

Any Royal Honour that one receives from the King is a truly outstanding accomplishment, from British Empire Medals (BEM) to Knighthoods and Damehoods. There are even more rare honours that one can receive.

 

Dame Jaqueline Wilson

One such recipient is Dame Jacqueline Wilson, who was made Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire in the New Year Honours List 2025.

 

Sir Kazuo Ishiguro

An even rarer achievement is a Companion of Honour. Only a select group of people, limited to 65 individuals at any one time, can receive this honour. This year, the Japanese-British novelist and screenwriter Sir Kazuo Ishiguro has been awarded it for his outstanding contributions throughout his career to literature.

This is not the first time Ishiguro’s oeuvre has been critically acclaimed. He received a Nobel Prize in 2017, with his most notable works including Never Let Me Go and The Remains of the Day.

 

Royal Honours List

The birthday Honours list is also published annually, marking the King’s official birthday on the 21st of June. We keenly anticipate this announcement and the ceremonial honouring of these awardees, and look forward to sharing a similar update this coming summer

 

Nominations with Awards Intelligence

Have you got someone in mind that is deserving of a Royal Honour?

Contact us today to learn more about how you can begin the nomination process and how we can support you throughout.